Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2010 / Diocese opens inquiry into possible miracle credited to Bishop Baraga
Diocese opens inquiry into possible miracle credited to Bishop Baraga
by John Fee special to The Michigan Catholic
Published March 19, 2010
MARQUETTE — The cause for sainthood for Bishop Frederic Baraga, first bishop of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, took a giant step forward this month when Bishop Alexander K. Sample announced at a March 10th news conference, "We believe that we have a miracle – a medical miracle – that we can attribute to the intercession of Bishop Baraga."
The case involves what was "thought to be a tumor on a patient's liver that showed up on various tests, including a CT scan and ultrasound," explained Fr. Ronald Browne, moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Marquette and a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit. "However, when exploratory surgery was done, there was no tumor to be found." The patient's doctor and radiologist said they can offer no explanation for the apparent cure.
The patient, the patient's family and their parish priest had prayed for healing, invoking the intercession of Bishop Baraga. The priest released no other details about the patient but the diocese said the supposed miracle took place in the Upper Peninsula region.
Additionally, Bishop Baraga's stole had been placed on the patient's abdomen, after which the woman reported that the pain she was experiencing went away.
An official inquiry to investigate the alleged miracle began on March 12 when members of a canonical tribunal signed documents to open the process. Bishop Sample has appointed Fr. Browne to lead the work of the tribunal.
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John Fee | The UP Catholic
Marquette Bishop Alexander K. Sample, left, and Fr. Ronald Browne, moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Marquette and a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit, look over paperwork regarding what they believe to be a miracle attributed to Bishop Frederic Baraga. | Fr. Browne said, "It is presumed (by the Church) that there is not a miracle" until one is proven.
The work of the tribunal is to gather documentation and testimony of the purported miracle to present to the postulator for the Baraga cause for sainthood, Andrea Ambrosi, who will travel to the Diocese of Marquette in July. He will take the reports back to Rome where it will be reviewed to determine if a miracle did occurred.
The sainthood cause for Bishop Baraga was introduced in 1952. After reviewing documentation about the bishop's life and virtues, the Vatican Congregation for Saints' Causes formally admitted his cause for consideration and gave him the title "servant of God."
The Vatican congregation will again review the documentation and make a recommendation to Pope Benedict XVI about whether he should receive the title "venerable."
Before Bishop Baraga could be beatified, the next step toward canonization, a miracle attributed to his intercession must be confirmed. To qualify as a miracle, it must be an event that science cannot explain.
In order for Bishop Baraga to be declared a saint, another miracle attributable to his intercession must be confirmed to have taken place after his beatification.
Born in Slovenia in 1797, Bishop Baraga came to the U.S. as a missionary to the Odawa and Ojibwa people of the upper Great lakes region in 1830. He traveled throughout the 80,000 square-mile territory by canoe, horse, snowshoe and even dog sled. He was consecrated a bishop and appointed vicar apostolic of the Upper Peninsula in 1853. When the vicariate apostolic was established as the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie (now called the Diocese of Marquette) in 1857, Baraga served as its first bishop until his death in 1868. His work includes an Ojibwa-English dictionary, which is still in use today. The Bishop Baraga Association was established in 1930 to promote the cause for sainthood of the "Snowshoe Priest," as Bishop Baraga has been called.
— Catholic News Service contributed to this story.
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